With the launch of its inaugural Master of Health Sciences (MHSc) programme, SIT is equipping healthcare professionals to expand their expertise beyond their primary roles. Discover how MHSc (Medical Sonography) students and emergency medicine doctors, Dr Sanjeev Shanker and Dr Ho Shu Fang, are equipping themselves with cross-disciplinary skills to enhance patient care.

The inaugural cohort of the MHSc programme kicked off its orientation in September 2024. (SIT Photos: Muhammad Rahizan Zainuldin)

Dr Sanjeev Shanker, an emergency medicine consultant with HMI Medical, boards a docked ship for an urgent consultation with a sailor suffering from a frozen shoulder. With the ship scheduled to depart in less than 24 hours, there’s no time for extended hospital visits or clinic appointments for a full diagnostic evaluation by a radiologist. Dr Shanker reaches into his bag, pulls out a portable ultrasound machine, quickly locates the problem area and administers an ultrasound-guided injection to alleviate the sailor’s pain.

Meanwhile, Dr Ho Shu Fang, another emergency medicine consultant, is at the Accident & Emergency Department of Singapore General Hospital. An elderly lady complains of severe abdominal pain. Using the Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) machine, Dr Ho discovers that the pain is caused by bowel obstruction and proceeds swiftly with the appropriate treatment for the elderly lady.

These scenarios reflect a growing trend in healthcare: Healthcare professionals embracing learning beyond their primary specialities to acquire cross-disciplinary skills, all with the aim of delivering better patient care. Both Dr Shanker and Dr Ho are among the inaugural cohort of 59 postgraduate students enrolled in SIT’s Master of Health Sciences (Medical Sonography), which commenced in September 2024.

The Master of Health Sciences (MHSc) programme offers healthcare practitioners like Dr Shanker and Dr Ho the opportunity to deepen and broaden their skill sets while staying in practice.  Under this programme, students can choose one of five specialisation tracks: Adult and Geriatric Rehabilitation, Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, Medical Sonography, Organ Transplant Nursing, and Rehabilitation Nursing. These specialisations are designed to equip professionals with advanced knowledge and skills in their chosen fields, empowering them to enhance patient care and meet the evolving needs of the healthcare landscape.

Learning Never Ends

Dr Shanker and Dr Ho are no strangers to postgraduate studies, each holding multiple postgraduate diplomas across various specialities.  In addition to her medical degree, Dr Ho, a certified public accountant-turned-doctor, holds postgraduate diplomas in geriatric medicine, tropical medicine and health, and is currently pursuing another in dermatology. “Since graduating from medical school, my goal has been to upgrade my skills continuously so that I can be a better doctor for the next patient I see,” Dr Ho said.

Dr Shanker's postgraduate diplomas range from family medicine and dermatology to occupational medicine, sports medicine, and paediatrics. “As an emergency specialist, I encounter a wide variety of cases. Hence, there’s a need to upskill in different areas to better serve my patients’ diverse needs,” Dr Shanker said.

Dr Sanjeev Shanker, Consultant, Emergency Medicine at HMI Medical Centre (Photo: Starmed Specialist Centre)

So what led both doctors to pursue medical sonography, even with their numerous postgraduate diplomas? For Dr Shanker and Dr Ho, taking up a speciality course in sonography was a natural next step to expand their diagnostic capabilities and elevate patient care. “Using the POCUS device is an important part of my daily clinical work. I believe it is the new stethoscope for doctors,” Dr Ho said. “Ultrasound is used on an everyday basis. Unfortunately, medical sonography was not extensively covered in our medical training. Taking this programme at SIT helps to plug the knowledge gap and enables me to provide quicker treatment to my patients,” Dr Shanker said.

 Dr Ho Shu Fang (front row in blue) and her course mates from the inaugural MHSc cohort, united in their journey to enhance healthcare through advanced learning at SIT. (SIT Photo: Ho Shu Fang)

Designed for both Sonographers and Doctors

MHSc (Medical Sonography) is a 2-year postgraduate coursework programme that aims to empower ultrasound practitioners and doctors with advanced sonographic knowledge and skills and address gaps in clinical practice. “The curriculum is designed to provide both ultrasound practitioners and doctors with advanced sonographic expertise, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and elevating clinical performance,” said A/Prof Ooi Chin Chin, Specialisation Lead of SIT’s MHSc programme.

To ensure relevance in the fast-changing technological world, students receive hands-on training in the latest sonographic technologies and techniques, such as elastography, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, superb vascular and 3D/4D imaging. Students are also introduced to machine learning and AI-powered ultrasound systems.  It was the comprehensiveness of the curriculum that attracted Dr Shanker to the programme. “Compared to the other courses I considered, SIT’s Medical Sonography curriculum offers a comprehensive coverage of the muscular-skeletal speciality – an area I was keen to upskill in,” Dr Shanker said.  “With its modular format, I can choose the specialities I want to upskill in and, in a way, design the course to fit my needs.”

Enhancing Patient Care through Cross-disciplinary Training

Equipping himself beyond his medical degrees in cross-disciplinary skills has proven to elevate patient care and improve effectiveness in the workplace. “Being trained in medical sonography allows me to perform ultrasounds on my patients personally. In some cases, this means the patient can get treated immediately rather than waiting days for a scheduled diagnostic scan before suitable treatment can be prescribed,” Dr Shanker said.

By upskilling in medical sonography, Dr Shanker has also developed a niche for himself. “There are not many emergency specialists trained in medical sonography. Upskilling has opened opportunities for me to conduct seminars and workshops for other doctors on sonography techniques and relevant therapeutic interventions,” Dr Shanker said.

For Dr Ho, being trained in sonography allows her to fulfil her passion for humanitarian medicine. “With my training in medical sonography and portable ultrasound probes, I can conduct diagnostic scans and treat patients in low-resource settings even without the luxury of a diagnostic radiology department on-site,” Dr Ho said. “I encourage all doctors to take a step towards learning from a speciality beyond our clinical expertise. The ability to integrate cross-disciplinary skills not only broadens our expertise but also enables us to become better doctors.”

As healthcare evolves, cross-disciplinary skills like medical sonography are becoming essential for advancing patient care. SIT’s Master of Health Sciences programme equips healthcare professionals with the expertise to make a greater impact in clinical practice.

Applications for the next intake, commencing in September 2025, will open in January 2025.

 If you’re ready to take the next step in your healthcare career, click here to find out more!